Blues Rock guitarist, songwriter, Mike
Zito, takes a short detour from
his band the Royal Southern Brotherhood for his debut solo release, Mike Zito & The Wheel -
Gone To Texason the Ruf Records
label. Mike Zito wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the 13-track release
with the exception of the Delbert McClinton song Take It Easy, and the Blind Willie Johnson song Let Your Light Shine On Me. Get ready for a rousing dose of Southern Blues
Rock with Mike Zito's intimate tales of his life, sometimes hard, sometimes
gritty, and always interesting.

Mike Zito produced by Mike
Zito & The Wheel - Gone To Texas on the Ruf Records label.

Mike Zito speaking about the
release and the title states, "Texas
saved my life. Sounds a bit dramatic, but absolutely true. Historically, Texas has been the
saving grace of many desperate men. In the early 1800s, men who had large debts
or committed crimes would run off to Texas
to hide from the colonies and their creditors. This was called "Gone to Texas." New Spain (Mexico
at that time, including Mexican Texas) took in all runaways and vagabonds it
could hold. Many of these men, found a new life in what would be Texas, returned to their families, paid their debts off,
only to fight and die for the freedom of Texas
from Spanish rule.

Texas was my last stand as well. I ended up there after
running away from all of my problems and mostly myself. I left on the Greyhound
bus and got off in Texas,
leaving my family behind. My drug addiction is no secret and Texas is where I confronted my problems and
made a change that has saved my life. I met a woman who lived in Texas years before and
was spiritually drawn to her. She has stood by my side through it all and has
given me the love and support I needed to stand on my own two feet. South East
Texas has taken me in and given me a new life. This a much different place than
the south side of Saint Louis
where I grew up. They all take it for granted around here, but it is a very
unique place in the world."

The release opens with the
title track, Gone To Texas, with
lyrics proclaiming, "I've to Texas baby with my guitar by my side, I'm gonna
find a woman and Lord I'm gonna make her mine ..."He slows the pace with, I Never Knew A Hurricane, a lover's lament, written with fellow
Royal Southern Brotherhood band mate, Cyril Neville. The Mike Zito and Rob Lee
song, Don't Break A Leg, features
some fine funk and blazing saxophones.

Don't Think Cause You're Pretty has a retro Led Zeppelin feel to it that cranks out
stellar guitar riffs. The Delbert McClinton's song, Take It Easy, opens nice and slow with a piano melody that melds as
graceful as a Texas
waltz as the piano segues into Mike's vocals and some impressive instrumental
work.

Mike Zito teamed up with his
Royal Southern Brotherhood band mate, Devon Allman to write The Road Never Ends, which speaks of a
musician's life of always being on the road with its lyrics, "The road never
ends, it just goes on and on, by the time I get home, I'm already gone. No rest
for the wicked, I got lumps in my bed, no turning back now, I can sleep when
I'm dead..." Delbert layers in a harmonica and adds his vocals to this hard-hitting
song, featuring smoldering electric slide guitar.